have said consistently, let him get a second term. in a second term he will do this. in a second term he will do that. first they were saying, do not say anything. let the guy get elected furs. then they said, give him time, and then when things have not worked out the way they thought, they move the goalposts again and said, you wait until the gets his second term, so we keep moving the goalposts, but supporters are saying when he gets a second term it is going to change. i want to know whether or not you think we are going to see a dramatically different rock obama -- barack obama if he wins, and specifically with regard to campaign finance reform. now he has said, and i got to

play by the rules, because i cannot lose, but when i get in, i am going to fix this campaign finance issue, so what are your thoughts? >> i think my answer is the same, and that is that i do not know. now i do not think anyone knows. it is the obvious race between obama and romney, but it is the issue of campaigning, and we do not know who is going to end up in the white house if he wins reelection. there are differences between the two. obama campaigned as a leader, but he governs as a timid leader. you cannot be a transformational leader and not ruffle many feathers, and he understands

that, and we have wasted a lot of pressures term, and if we go back to the original stimulus bill, if it had been better crafted, better targeted, larger, we would have perhaps not had ongoing erosion in terms of jobs that we have seen, so time matters comi-con when it comes to us it -- time matters when it comes to a sense of urgency, and i did not know if the president when he is back in the white house will experience its when there is nothing to lose. >> what do you make of the tone and the tenor of this campaign? we know what was said last week at the rnc and all the fact checking going into what mitt romney said. what is your view of the

demeanor going into this particular election? >> i think it is the worst campaign of my life term, and i am pretty old. there is no question this is the worst campaign ever, and what makes it harder is that this is a time when it really matters. these are not times when we are just electing a president to imes andover the good term our prosperity. this is a time when the american dream is at stake. we are no. 10 in of board mobility. we are behind france in of board mobility. that gives you an idea of how bad things have gotten. i wrote a book on third world america, because if we do not turn things around we will become a third world countries.

during these times to see the way this campaign degenerates into a discussion of charges and countercharges common on and we in the media have responsibility, too, because so much media coverage is about process, and so much is going to be increasingly about the latest polling results and not the big issues. when romney picked paul ryan, i actually thought this was going to elevate the campaign into a real discussion about the role of government and the nature of capitalism, but it has not happened. >> what is your sense about how social media can change the game from being about issues and the stuff but does matter and not just a typical historical covering of the horse race? are we doing anything to change

that conversation? >> yes, i think the potential is still there, and what has already happened is to give a voice to millions of people who would not have had a voice before. we have citizen journalist here in charlotte. we brought them here to cover the campaign and bring in some different perspectives. there is no question that in the end social media and new media can be ice huge country being forced to the power of money -- can be a huge force in the power of money. tavis: what say you about the increasing cynicism of the american people? i am not one who believes that is not without a legitimate reason, but what is your sense about the cynicism that seems to

be running amok and when our body politic is concerned? >> it is legitimate, because our system is very broken. it can only produce sub-optimum solutions. at the same time the public is idealistic. the american public is waiting to be called to something larger than ourselves here again we are talking about the question of job creation and what can we do. good what can we do to actually accelerate job creation on the grounds that we cannot wait as bystanders, hoping against hope someone in washington is going to come up with a solution. it is amazing.

we have got foundations committing $1 million to the most innovative job creation idea, and the ford company contributing to help community colleges, non from on who -- not-for-profit groups, all coming together. it reminds me a little bit of what happened during the second world war. people were buying liberty bonds, planting victory gardens. they were all engaged in this together because they knew what was at stake. people can recapture the spirit. that is for me going to be the defining difference, and maybe you can help bring that about on your poverty to ur. tavis: let me close where we began this conversation. the minute this is over in wraps

up with president obama's speech, and on friday the jobs numbers come out, and we are told the census bureau will release poverty numbers. we all know the link between poverty and joblessness. what is your sense of what is going to happen in this debate? >> the numbers are not going to be good, whether they are a little better or a little worse. they are not going to be good. we are debating whether they are a tiny bit better or a tiny bit worse, but what are we going to do about it? we are not having it before the conventions. we are not having it after the conventions, and that is where we are doing our part by focusing on job creation. goo

to send those ideas, to send us stories about what is happening, because we cannot move into a state of mind where we think nothing can be done. we need to do our part to make a difference and turn things around. tavis: the founder of "and huffington opposed," -- of "the huffington post," arianna huffington. up next, we remember the life of michael dunton, gone too soon. over the labor day weekend we were saddened to learn about the passing of michael clark duncan. he turned in and now an unforgettable performance in "the green mylaile." he talked about his unlikely

path to hollywood through the south side of chicago and how his mother turned him away from a career in sports. good >> i have to say it was all -- >> i have to say it all started from my mother. she wanted to be an actor. when my mother saw me, she thought, i am going to push him in that direction, but i pushed back i wanted to play basketball and football. i did not think acting was going to be a lifestyle for me. i was going to be on the football team, but my mother told me to quit. tavis: she did not want you to get her. >> but you are on a black campus. tavis: she is under 100 pounds. >> my mother always told me to

go for your goals and never give up no matter what they are. i started to believe that, but as i grew older, everything my mother ever taught me came true. she told me never smoke, never do drugs, never drink. those things i have never done in my life. >> gone too soon at the age of 54. that is it for our show tonight. thanks for watching, and as always, keep the faith. >> i am tired of all the pain. it is in my head all the time. can you understand?

>> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. join me next time for a conversation with the former u.s. secretary of labor, robert reischauch. king had that said there is right thing. i try to live my life every day by doing the right thing. to completely eliminating hunger and we have work to do. walmart committed $2 billion to as we work together, we can stamp hunger out. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you.

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions

arena, i'm gwen ifill. >> woodruff: and i'm judy rude wuf we have. welcome you to the live coverage of the 2012 democratic national convention. so we begin the democratic party turns to make its case to the american voters. tonight's program will emphasize the major themes of president obama's reselection campaign captured by firstç lady michele obamaç and we'll bailiff you tt with -- bring you that with other speeds. >san antonio mayor julio castro plus other major speeches tonight. on-line you can find our 24 hour live stream coverage events inside and outside the hall. >> ifill: let's get started right down to the floor to ray suarez who will be with us tonight and the rest of the

conventions. ray suare. >> suarez: we will hear from senate majority leader harry reid of november and house minority leader nancy pelosi of california. later on there will be video tributes, the first to fermenter president jimmy carter and one to the late senator edward kennedy of massachusetts. and of course much later tonight as judy mentioned, the keynote from the 37 year old mayor of san antonio texas, hoolian julit trocastroand michelle obama, tht lady of the united states. >> woodruff: mark shields and draifd brooks were with us last weak in tampa and they are here with us in charlotte. what does this line up tonight say to you what the democrats, what barack obama wants to accomplish. >> michelle obama isç obviously the mostç interesting one. just as romney needed to be,

still president obama needs to be humanized a little. he's a bit ensue her. motivation behind healthcare and the turmoil to do a lot of things; even though the overall rates is high and has been phenomenally favorable, the favorable or unfavorable rated has shifted quite significantly. an abc pofl has obama's unfavorability among women going up by 11 poifnts while romney's favorability was going up by seven. it shifted in a republican direction even if the overall number is not. >> ifill: which are the faces we're going to see on the stain tonight. >> that's right gwen. michelle obama is most important. the two most popular figures in the democratic party are michelle obama and bill clinton. it's no cept the surprise one id tonight and one is tomorrow

night. i think it's important to communicate. it's been an advantage the president has and it's had over governor romney throughout this campaign, even inspite of the abc poll, until i see further evidence will consider a bit of anouan outlier and the presidens better liked than governor romney. and romney's own people, they will never be competitive at that level with president obama. if they're going to win this race, they have to win it onç other issues,ç the economy and his perceived confidence in business. >> woodruff: what about the most of the mayor of san antonio, not a national name, chosen to give the keynote address. >> there was a state governor from illinois more strings than castro just eight years ago. i think it highlights not the importance over sang tony or even the great state of texas of latinos and hispanic voters in this election. i think there's a rising star in

that community that's important. remember this, the democrats ranks in congress were depleted in 2010 to a great degree. so they are reaching to the mayors and the governors, the featured roles at this convention. >> ifill: four years ago -- i hate when i do that. >> i love it when you do that you've you'v.>> ifill: four yee was the keynote speaker and hardly anyone remembers that. >> barack obama is a bit of an outlier. most key notes come and going. the republican was a once future stars, they are always future stars. they're never present stars. but you know, this is important in the latino vote. we talked about this a little in tampa. republicans are probably going to get about 60% of the whites. to counteract that, democrats are hoping to get significant,ç maybeç 70-80% of the rising

population, the rising democrat demographic of which latinos are. >> woodruff: the white vote is and we're waiting for the senate majority leader harry reid. the white vote is not something the democrats can rely on. >> not at all. white male vote is important. i mean, you can't have a convention where you just speak to everybody but white males. i mean, the democrats only get 40% or 38% of the white male votes. they need that 38 or 40%. i mean it's just like the romney campaign is striving to get into the 30's or upper 30's in the latino votes hoping to make a dent. so the other side of that judy, the white male vote which the democrats have to get a percentage of. they can't write it off or somehow disregard it. >> ifill: we just heard just leaving the statement right now is the mayor of charlotte, anthony quinn of the host city but now we're going to go to the floor and listen to senate

majority leader, harry reid of nevada.çç [crowd cheering] >> my name is harry reid. [crowd cheering] >> majority leader of the united states senate. i'm the senator from sensual --h light, nevada it's my pleasure

to speak about barack obama a man who has brought character to the presidency. his strength of character leads him to do the right thing even when it isn't the easy thing. some studies shouldn't save detroit but president obama made the stuff and right call to save more than a million american jobs in an important iconic industry. [crowd cheering] some studies should move heaven and earth to get bin laden but president obama made the tough and right call to bring the worst terrorist in the world to justice. some even said he couldn't take on the big banks that brought our economy to its knees. but president obama made the tough and right call so taxpayers will never again been

on the hook for wall street's risky bets.çç some study couldn't take on the insurance companies that were ripping us off. but president obama made the tough and right call to save lives, save medicare and ensure that no one goes broke just because they get sick. [crowd cheering] his whole life, there have been so many who told them what he shouldn't or couldn't do. but america has a president who knows what we must do. president obama has also faced down another group of naysayers. in addition to the crowds of the couldn'ted and shouldn'ts, the republican party has become the party of the woods and th woulde

won'ts. they pledged on day one, they wouldn't lift a finger to help and they haven't. in the departments of the great recession, as millions of americans we're struggling to find work, the republican leader of the senate, mitch mcconnell said, republicans number one goal was to make barack obama a one-term president. they wouldn't cooperate to great jobs. they wouldn't try to turn around the economy. they wouldn't do anything but stand in the way of presidentç obama. now i had a front rowç seat to watch the tea party take over the republican party. for three and-a-half years, they wouldn't govern, they couldn't lead, and we shouldn't let them take over the senate from the whitehouse. [crowd cheering]

we must stop the tea party before the united states senate falls into the hands of extremists and idealogs who levees no room for reason or compromise who don't recognize common ground even when they're standing on it. and if they won't stand up to rush limbaugh or grover norquist, what would make anyone think they would stand up for you. [crowd cheering] you see, today's republican party believes in two sets of rules. one for millionaires and billionaires and another for the middle class. and this year, they've nominated the strongest proponent and beer es beneficiary of this rigged gain, mitt romney.

never in modern american history has a presidential candidate tried so hard to hide himself from the people heç hopes toç serve. when you look at the one tax return he has released, it's obvious why. it's obvious why there's only been one. we learned that he pays a lower tax rate than middle class families. we learned he chose swiss bank accounts and came cayman islandx shelters over american institutions. and we can only image what new secrets would be revealed if he showed the american people a dozen years of tax returns, like his father did. [crowd cheering] mitt romney says we should take his word that he paid his fair share. his word, his word? trust comes from transparency,

and mitt romney comes up short on both. [crowd cheering] you see, this is about more than just a piece of paper. it isn't personal. this is about leveling with the american people and creating a level playing field for them. if we don't know how mitt romney would benefit from the policies he proposes, how can we know if he's looking out for us or just himself. the american people are stillç asking, whoç is mitt romney. but the american people know barack obama. [crowd cheering] he's the leader who says we should, we can, we will. you see, he's the leader who doesn't search for the easy path

for himself, but takes the right one for us. this nation has been through hard times, but those hard times have hardened our resolve. i'm ready to do the difficult work that's ahead. but i want to do that work with barack obama and not a tea party idealog. [crowd cheering] we can move america forward but we can only do it together. we can move america forward with a strong middle class. we can move america forward with a strong democratic majority in the senate, and together we can move america forward with barack obama in the whitehouse. [cheers and applause] >> harry reid of nevada. we're now joined by the reverend

jesse jackson who.ç >> good to be with you in north carolina. the new south. >> we heard a lot last week from the republicans very critical of barack obama and we just heard from senator reid very critical of mitt romney. is that going to be enough from this democratic convention. >> we now barack obama inherited a loss of 4 million jobs. a war that was the wrong war and now a 4 million jobs, swinging in the right direction. very extensive war in iraq has now come to an end. a step in the right direction. the automobile industry was gone, it's number one again. working in ohio it's in the right direction.

>> woodruff: my point is what we heard from senator reid is criticism of mitt romney. is that going to be enough. >> no. they are benefiting from it. the americans whose health was covered now, the message is more healthcare and the message that an unnecessary war has ended. i think if we do that andç remn positive andç remain call throh the count attack, you're not american, you're not born, you're not one of us it comes down to that level of k35eu7bing. >> ifill: we'll listen to some members of the house. when you look at the face on the party how has it changed since us ran for president in 1988. >> in equality, you see more women in different roles now. i think -- used to see blacks and latinos and whites and

browns in south carolina. the act pulled down the walls and built bridges. you can have the carolina in that -- we have made a new america and we're not going back, we're going forward. >> ifill: is it the kind of forward that will take all the people who got into your rainbow coalition with them. >> it will. the unfinished america is positive and 53 secure and 45 million on food stamps. i hope in the campaign's last days are in appalachia. this is a time to sit -- >> ifill: let's go back to the floor. you can see minority leader nancy pelosi is at the podium. [crowd cheering]çç

>> good evening. [crowd cheering] good evening. i'm nancy pelosi from my ... my grand children call me mimi. for me politics is an extension of my role as a mother and as a grandmother. for the democratic women of the house, our work is not about the next election, but rather the next generation. working with president obama, we are committed to reigniting the american dream, the ideal if

you're willing to work hard, play by the rules and take responsibility, you will have the opportunity to climb the ladder of success. the democratic women of the house are ready to join president obama to move americaç forward. [crowd cheering]ç congress woman rosa delaura of connecticut. and we have work to do. america's women still make just $.77 for every dollar men earn, and it is even tougher for women of color. those pennies add up to a real difference to middle class families who are trying to pay their bills, trying to get ahead and trying to achieve the american dream. and we are making progress. the lily ledbetter fair pay act, yes, yes.

[crowd cheering] the fair pay act, to give victims paid discrimination their day in court was the first bill that president obama signed into law. [crowd cheering] now, we want to pass the paycheck fairness act. [crowd cheering] real protection to ensure equal pay for equal wo$=. the democratic women of theç house are committed to closing the wage gap for america's families, and to move america forward. [crowd cheering] >> i'm congress woman carolyn maloney from the great great state of new york. [crowd cheering]

when president obama made healthcare a right, not a privilege for all americans, that was change that brought hope to millions. now women are beginning to get the preventive services that they deserve, including birth control. [crowd cheering] if they get sick or become pregnant, they will not lose their health insurance. and soon for the very first time, no longer will being a woman be a preexisting medical condition. [crowd cheering]ç healthy moms meanç healthy

families. when my republican colleague held a hearing about birth control and refused, refused to include one single woman on the first panel as a witness to speak for the concerns of women, i asked where are the women. where are the women? [crowd cheering] where are the women? [crowd cheering] where are they? [crowd cheering] we're here. now the women of america are here. and we, we are on our way to re-elect our president, president obama.

he is our president. [crowd cheering] the democratic women of the house are committed to women's health and to moving america forward with president obama. thank you. [applause] >> i'm congress woman allyson schwartz from the great town of pennsylvania.ç moving america forward means never going backward on america's great promise of healthcare for our seniors, medicare. as a daughter who cared for an elderly parent, i know medical care is not optional for our seniors. and we will not let the republicans and the girnit guarf medicare that costs seniors thousands of dollars and

endangers health and retirement security of millions of americans. americans have worked for their medicare, they've paid for their medicare. and whether you are 65 or 55 or 45 or 35, you have earned your medicare. [applause] americans deserve the security medicare provides. president obama will strengthen and protect medicare. he already has. and democrats will make the tough choices, the right choices to reduce the deficit and preserve medicare for this generation and for the next. the democratic women of the house know that a secure retirement moves america forward.çç [crowd cheering]

>> just about 30 women democratic members of the house of representatives coming together on the stage in force, just the sheer number of themselves a lot about this party. the reverend jesse jackson. >> those congress women who have legitimate position of power, giving them a chance to perform. olympiads and congress people. >> we saw the olympic last week. >> and title 9, by the way. >> let me ask you a trouble making question. i remember the scene of you four years ago on election night, tears in your eyes. none of the wall street people were responsible for the financial crises has been arrested or prosecuted. there's relatively little focus on poverty. have you had some things you think the president could have done better on some of these issues. >> two things. one, i think that the beengs had to bhad -- banks had to be baild

out. there was lengthing and reinvestment, so they got bailed out but homeowners remained locked out. even the act should be revived -- on the other hand as i'm going to see pick up and go right back to ohio and focus on pufferrity. as he seeks to build ohio, ohio is kind of the appea appalachia. it's a great time to raise that issue again. >> i heard the presidential candidate talk about the people getting up and taking the early bus they raise people's children, they work and changing the hotel beds. -- the people who are sick -- can't lie in those beds and that's why america's a better nation than that. i heard the presidential -- i hear more about contraception

than about food stamps. i hear about middle class, not about 52 million americans living in poverty. the democratic party now become the party of the -- >> well that message must be revised. i share that message with the nation and it is a real delight as it was then. yesterday middle class is today's poverty stricken. those who lost their homes and went intoç poverty, those whoç lost their jobs went into poverty. the renewed focus must be on poverty as well as urban reconstruction. give you an example in chicago -- addressing the chicago crises urban as well as poverty. >> i don't really hear people talking about that on the floor at the convention. >> that's for the brothers to raise the issue because the voice must be put out -- i hope in the coming days that that gap, that moral gap that people gap are those in poverty are those feeling the impacts of

poverty right on them. >> what does the president need to say about that thursday night? >> the fact is he has the issue of healthcare for all americans, he'll address the poor. working for women. i think more specifically this is a moment to look at -- which is medicare, which is medicaid, which is in fact social security. that's the democrat's main call and needs to be played again. >> ifill: you were in grant park as mentioned four years ago, we all watched that night and there was a lot of emotion awe talked to the election of this president. but things have faded at least or at least people feel they've had theirç first. the whole part of this convention isç about reenergizg that. they're asking you your advice what would you tell them. >> there's a difference between crusading and governing. you see what president obama has done and what the alternative is.

i think somewhere in there you're going to -- not just in terms of commitment to him -- he's going to turn out the maximum numbers and that's why the focus is on you. the other people on credit card debt for example -- i think focuses on youth is the right focus. >> and the depression -- >> those who work -- purged in ohio and a million in pennsylvania and 500,000 in florida. you have to take the election -- voter suppression on america -- because we could lose or lose but win and protect the count of the vote. >> how does it play the role of president obama the last for years. >> he has been drawn enough not to wallow in it.

this is tackling him-thi -- most poor people are not black, they're white, they're female and young or the food stamps. it's an honor to be a food stamps by the personç whoç nes food stamps or those who grow food or sell food -- it's also a stereotype that we deserve better. it's like quote/unquote, it's not right. >> woodruff: how has at hand. in this country, he is the president, why hasn't he been able to dominate that conversation more than he has. >> well because the tea party acknowledge it -- jefferson davis democrats became the reagan -- they didn't vote for him in 2008 and -- they have in fact been stood ye uses in to e

common people. >> you don't think it's beufs any failing on his part that he hasn't been able to stay on top of that? >> i'm not sure he has the power to overcome a -- why is he leadg the drive on medicaid and medicare. >> reverend jesse jackson, stay with you. we see the women members of congress standing there and waving. i guess it's 30 of them, we haven't counted. that's what we're told. coming up is a video, a video speech from former president jimmy carter. he's not going to be here inçç person, gwen. >> ifill: we will see bill clinton but before that the previous democratic president

jimmy carter. he talked a lot about these issues of poverty and concerned. >> woodruff: mark any thoughts about why jimmy cart he couldn't come to speak in person. >> it seems there are three categories. they never mentioned gerald forward, richard nixon, dwight eisenhower at the republican convention. to get a video of the bushes or a personal appearance, bill clinton. that's it. american former president apparently -- >> they genuflect before ronald reagan's name at least one every ten minutes at a republican gathering. >> abe lyn lincoln -- he was a pathetic boy, this underpinning -- >> ifill: here's jimmy carter. >> i accepted your nomination as president of the united states. i said then america needed a president who shares your dreamentz and takes the strength and wisdom from you, the

american people. ladies and gentlemen, both now and for the next four years, we have just such a leader in the whitehouse. something you realize quickly in the oval office the easy decisions are not the onesç tht make their way to ymu$ desk. whether they are issues of war and peace or grave economic matters, popular or unpopular, only a president can make those most difficult choices. in those moments, it takes more than a grasp of policy, it takes integrity and an understanding of why and whom you serve. from president obama's first day in office, i watched him because i know you have. they face tough decisions and always put the edge on middle class americans above those with larger wallets haven't ever loud their voice. i admire him for that. because president obama sits behind that desk, every day people from planes, georgia to pittsburgh have someone on their side, thinking about them,

working to give them an equal chance in life. in just four short years he's worked to an economic to bring an end to the ill conceived war in iraq and signed into law historic healthcare reform, a dream that was already decadesovedecadesover do and cas convention 30 years ago. it's called in the bitter unyielding and unpress department partisan opposition. overseas president obama has restored the reputation of the united states within the rural community. dialogue and collaboration are once again possible with return of a spirit of trust and goodwill to our foreign policy. of course there remains much to do. in communities across america and in countries around the world, life is too hard for too many people. we see their struggles and our hearts go out to them. in the coming years our hands

must continue toç reach out toç them. yet all that remains to be done at home and abroad, the evidence is overwhelming. president obama is a leader for america to replace the onslaught of some of the most calculated domestic and international challenges to confront any u.s. president in modern times. it's up to all of us to make sure the american people understand exactly what is at stake and at risk in this election. if president obama in the oval office, we can make good progress toward becoming a fairer, stronger, more process pression and inclusive america, a nation adjusted to changing and challenging times by holding true to unchanging principles. a leader among the community of nations. next month, god willing, i will enter the 88th year of my life, and one month later, rose lynn and i will enter a voting booth in our home town of plains and cast another vote for barack

obama and joe biden. we will do so with the confidence and conviction that they understand the challenges and difficult choices that face our nation and our people. in fact all peoples of the world in the years ahead. one thing i have learned over my lifetime as a submarine officer, as president and as leader of the quarter center is that biggest challenges and problems we face, are don't lend themselves to quiek figures. go to the snappy rhetoric of a television commercial. solutions are complex and difficult requiring the judgment, skill and patience to pursue the right policies for the right reasons. voters this november and i am confident when the facts and policies have been examined and record and performances have been reviewed, barack obama and joe biden will once again be elected to lead our beloved country to a better future.

thank you. [crowd cheering] >> ifill: that's jimmy carter, the former president of the united states giving a full-throatd endorsement of barack obama and joe biden. now we're going to go stay on the floor and go to interior secretary ken salazar, former senator from colorado. >> 87 years old president carter international travel all the time. >> good evening. i'm ken salazar, former united states senator and attorney general for the great state of colorado. [crowd cheering] i'm proud that colorado delivered a victory to probe in 2008 -- to barack obama in 2008 and we will do so in 2012. [crowd cheering] my support for barack obama is deeply rooted in the americançç dream. we have both been blessed by

this great nation. i'm a 12th generation mexican-american. [crowd cheering] my family have farmed the lands of the soil along the rio grande in colorado and new mexico for more than 400 years. i grew up on a ranch without electricity or telephone. my parents were civil servants and soldiers, part of world war ii's greatest generation. and though we were poor, my parents so believed in the american dream, that all eight of their children became first generation college graduates. [crowd cheering] likewise, barack obama's grandparents were from the neighboring state, the great planes of the state of kansas. his grandfather marched for the cause of freedom in patton's army and his grandmother worked in the fract trees durin factor.

he was raised by those grandparents and a courageous mother who instilled values in him and taught him there were no limits to what he could achieve. barack obama was not born into wealth or privilege, yet today he is president of these united states of america. american dream. he has walked in our shoes. until just a few years ago, brocheand his wife lived like w. paying off steufnt loans, picking up kids and balancing the checkbook. these experiences are why rho president obama has -- why president obama has fought hard for all of us. he believes the american dream

belongs to every single american, every single american. now on the other side, mitt romney, he just doesn't get it. he hasn't walked in the shoes of most americans. and he doesn't understand that we should focus on helping those around america's kitchen tables. not just those around the bored- board rooms of america. [crowd cheering] we need a president who is on our side. my father used to tell me [speaking spanish] tell me who you are, who you walk with and i'll tell you who you are. barack obama walks with us. i watched president obama protect america's land, water and wildlife. to honor all our cultures, to

uphold ourç commitments to tril nations and to secure energy future. in an era when america's working so hard to achieve energy independence, the president's mission has never been more important. it was president nixon who first talked about the term energy independence. yet, until president obama took charge, no president had been so successful in helping make real strides towards a secure and independent energy future. what did the old drill of the last republican's administration get us? and now would the same drill baby drill take us? four years ago america imported nearly 60% of its oil. president obama recognized that

that path was unsustainable and dangerous. under president obama's leadership, the united states move forward with an all of the above energy strategy. oil and gas, nuclear, hydro, biofuels, wind, geo thermal, solar, all of it, all of it. and today for the first time in american a decade, for the first time in american a decade, we thanç half our oil. u.s. natural gas production is at an all time high. and oil production at a 14-year high. renewable energy from solar and wind have more than doubled under the president's leadership. [crowd cheering] and not on public lands alone. the largest solar wind and geo thermal plants in the world are sprouting up across our public lands. enough electricity to power more

than three million american homes. and we are creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, good middle class jobs as we move forward with the clean energy economy. thanks to president obama's leadership, the auto industry is making cars that americans want to buy. they get better gas mileage, that save money at the pumps and reduce emissions. [applause] today's america's dependence on foreign oil is at its lowest point in two decades. [crowd cheering] the romney ryan plan calls this success imaginary. they say renewable energy is a fad. they even had the gall last week as the hurricane blast our coast to mock our sacred responsibility as stewardsç of god's earth. their attitude is'] just sad it's reckless and it's backwards. and yes they are still lodged in

ideological embraced with the failed policies of the past. president obama's energy program is the real deal. it moves us forward, not backward. forward to fuel emission cars, a healthy auto industry and good middle class jobs. forward to a healthier planet, and forward to the new energy frontier in american energy independence. on november 6th, america faces a choice. return to the romney-ryan ticket of failed policies of the past or move ahead with a smart focus and determined president who understands that america always does best when the winds of innovation and change, for the sake of every american family. for the sake of american energy and independence for the sake of america's future, let's go forward not backward. let's walk with the president who walks with us, who walks

with us, our great president, barack obama. [crowd cheering]çç >> ifill: interior secretary ken salazar, former senator from colorado. and he was building up to this, building up to a video which you're about to watch. a tribute to the late senator ted kennedy and the kennedy legacy. here to introduce is joe kennedy iii the grandson of bobby kennedy and the senator of congress from massachusetts. >> thank you. good evening delegates. this is the first convention since 1956 that we meet without senator kennedy. but make no mistake, he is here with us this evening. [crowd cheering] [applause] i see him in the passion of our delegates, the character of her candidates and the causes that

unite us. from my uncle teddy, politics was always about people. he was from a big family. and he understood that lives are measured not by line items on a budget but by first days of school, last days of summer. by promotions won and jobs lost. new homes, broken hearts, baptisms, 2350u7 funerals, and y precious moment in between. i remember chaining with him once in texas -- chaining with him once in phoenix with then senator barack obama. we showed up in a hall with a small border town with only a handful of voters to greet us. he didn't care. they were working folks who come out to support our candidate. uncle teddy got up, raised his hands and belted outçç [speakg spanish] in a strong boston accent. the crowd went crazy for the old raranchero song and a mariachi o

sang it. it was uncle teddy as his best and he gave his best to everyone he met, whether a sick child, an injured soldier, an unemployed worker. that idea guided him through the bigger battle. to guarantee the right to organize, to end apartheid, bring peace to northern ireland and healthcare to all. [crowd cheering] it guides us and it guides us in a tough campaign ahead. as we fight for our middle class in a economy that's built to last. defend a woman's right to choose. keep a college education affordable. protect our seniors' retirement security and ask every american to do their part, to safeguard the promise of this country. four years ago, uncle teddy mar

veled at a senator that our country sorely needed. as we pause today to remember senator kennedy, we recommit ourselves to the leadery entrusts to carry on our cause. thank you very much. [cheers and applause]çç >> for all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause indures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die. çç

>> no matter who writes the history books, when people look back on this century, they will say that edward kennedy was one of the ablest and mosttios, momt on m ucapr, mtit compassionate and most effective man who served in the united states senate in the entire history of

the country. [applause] >> we show you live coverage of the debate between democratic incumbent edward kennedy and his republican challenger mitt romney. >> i believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. i believe that since row v wade has been the law for 20 years, we should sustain and support it, and i sustain and support that law and the right of a woman to make that choice. >> on the question of the choice issue, i have supported the roe v wade, i am pro choice, my opponent is multiple choice. >> when mr. romney, are you going to tell the people of massachusetts which health program you favor. >> have i a plan, i have a position on healthcare. i'm happy to show it to you senator, any time you'd like. >> mr. romney it isn't a question of showing me your paper it's a question of showing all of the people new here that are watching this program the paper. they ought to have an

opportunittogh piece by piece. >> that's what you have to do as a legislator. that's exactly what you have to do. [crowd cheering]çç these poor family, now he looks like he's for minimum wage, now he's for education reform. if we give him two more weeks he may even vote for me because those are things i am fore. mr. ri romney called me to congratulate me being re-elected to the united states senate. >> it's what the party does is what it has done. we're the ones that brought higher education, the medica, programs, the medicaid programs, knocked down the walls of discrimination. we brought us down to economy, a sensible foreign policy. those are the essential values of the democratic party, aren't they. >> love this country. i believe in the bright light of hope and possibility.

i always have, even in the darkest hours. i know what america can achieve. i've seen it. i've lived it, and with barack obama, we can do it again. [crowd cheering] >> thank you very much. thank you. this is the cause of my life, new hope, that we will break the old grid lock and guarantee that every american north, south, east, west,ç young, old, willç have decent, quality healthcare as a fundamental right and not a privilege. [crowd cheering]

>> today's decision was a victory for people all over this country whose lives will be more secure because of this law and the supreme court's decision to uphold it. >> if teddy were here, he would tell us now it's time to roll up our sleeves, get to work, fully implement the law and move on with the business of our country. >> thisim ng t coming and it's one that i knew my husband would have loved to have seen. and he did about the future. it was about going forward. it was about pattin passing theh to a new generation.

>> for those of us who knew teddy and worked with himç her, peopleç of both parties, know that what drove him was something more. ted kennedy's passion was borne not of some rigid ideology but of his own experience. that large heartedness, that concern and regard for the plight of others, is not a partisan. it's not a republican or democratic, it too is part of the american character. >> i never shied away from being called a liberal. but what i have done is stand up for my beliefs. >> the work, the new, the hope rises again. and the dream lives on.

[crowd cheering] >> that certainly roused the crowd. four years ago we were all here with ted kennedy when he gave his alaskan vention speak. >> woodruff: probably the closest thing there is to an icon in the democratic party, teddy kennedy who died a few years ago. with that video you saw not only what he championed as a legislator but also you saw the campaign that he ran against mitt romney in 1994 when mitt romney as a youngd5an challengç ted kennedy and that was quite an exchange. and it was a point when mitt romney held a different view.

>> ifill: we're joined now by mayor cory booker of new jersey. she's the cochair of the democratic -- joy. >democratic -- -- >> it just got very very loud. that was a movying video we just watched and it reminded me where you were lifted and inspired with great figures like that, young people like me in those days which made a stream about getting in politics. >> while is the means of a party, yes it important to video a video. >> on both sides of the political aisle where these figures didn't get rapid in the cynical edge of today. you really felt the authenticity, both sides were going wild. something like that is getting lost and locked up in our politics because there's different type of media we live in and the typical world that's emerging. so a guy like him is really an icon where there was a noble

fight in america and one that calls to the conscious of our country. for me as a democrat coming up looking as the kennedys, they lifted me and inspired me and gave me hope for america and he embodies that. >> i neverç saw anybody delivea htform speech that got the kind of

17%. pilot programs in there, they're working on ways to cut costs. >> we have a great guy working in new jersey, talking about hospital emergency rooms. you see the republican platform is going to take us where we're going to start paying more. let me give you an example. hospital emergency room care is incredibly expensive. we found out a small percentage drive costs because we teeth them and send them out. they go back to doing their behavior, come right back with the same emergency problem. we found if you wrap services around that person, follow their home make sure they're taking their medication, you drive down costs for the taxpayers. this is the enlightened way the democratic party wants to go about it. reentry programs are lower costs for taxpayer. the right kind of healthcare

lowers cost for tax pairs. planned parent lowers the incidence of abortion. we believe on the same ends of you lora boric, lower taxes, lower government spending but we have a more enlightened way of getting it. >> woodruff: mark, do you have a question. >> you were talking about those issues you took a few shots at governor christie. we don't know if the state's big enough for two of you and the question really becomes how is it that governor crist christy in these turbulent times three out of five of the citizens of new jersey give them a favorable rating. >> number one, i don't know if you saw the poll that came out this week but this is not the time to talk about it beit's not election season in newark. let's leave it until then. we mention chris christy by christie by name, didn't take any shots ahim. we have a great working relationship right now. because we're not putting partisanship ahead of progress. he and i disagree on everything from he's a meat eater i'm a vegetarian. sometimes he eats raw meat. >> in a political sense.

>> of course. of course. >> my point is right now the governor and i -- people are trying to destabilize. that i walk out of my door at newark and people need job and education. newark is going through the biggest era of economic development since the 1950's. i'm not here to bash my governor. i'm here to go back to new jersey on friday and work with him. when it becomes an election season if i choose to run -- if i choose to run, which say huge if then we'll leave politics for that season. i'm interested in progress and working with people. >> woodruff: the mayor of newark, new jersey cory booker. we're pleased to have you with us. great to see you thank thank you very much woonch we've been competing with a group i guess it's ledisi. you can clear that up. >> reporter: i'm on the floor with he had markey one -- ed markey. nobody calls massachusetts a

battleground state but how much could turnout for the top of ticket drive what is a critical senatorial race? >> the turnout in massachusetts is going to go off the charts. we're on obama loving state. once people cast that vote for obama to set the course for another four years, thinks to going to auger for elizabeth warren very well. i think there's going to be a lot of momentum in her direction. >> reporter: when voters talk to each other is there consciousness that the senate is so site and a change of seats could mean so much to massachusetts? >> i think today it's not the case but within the final two weeks, yes. i think it's going to be very clear that the senate is in the balance and each one of these senate seats depending on how each day votes will determine whether or not there's a progressive on energy, on health

care, on foreign policy or there's a very conservative member who is making those decisions. i think that's going to drive a lot of the vote in massachusetts. >> reporter: is it tough to drive turnout when a lot of people have experienced underwater mortgages, loss of equity in their homes when they've lost overtime, feeling not as wealthy as they were a couple years ago? >> i can't speak for the whole country but in massachusetts, you are born a voter and a red sox fan. so people just know they have to vote and that's why our turnout is usually right at the top of the list and it will be the same this year. >> reporter: most members of house have safe seats because of way we do redistricting. what do you do in the last 60 days? what keeps you busy? >> as you are saying the house of representatives and the senate could is the balance. new hampshire could be decisive. many of us are helping barack obama in new hampshire as well.

that could very well decide the presidency. there's a lot of work to be done even by members who come from so-called state seats, a lot of work to be done. an historic set of decisions are going to be made this year. >> suarez: ed markey thank you for talking us to. >> ifill: joining us is nancy pelosi of california. welcome. >> my pleasure to be here. >> ifill: quite an impressive group of democratic women on the floor. >> thank you. >> ifill: people look at the house of representatives and it seems like a drag for anybody running for office how do you balance that out? >> i think you are seeing how many house democrats are participating, nearly 30 in the presentations made here. we're very proud of the work we did when we were in the majority, most productive congress some say in modern

history at least for several decades. i disapprove of now up to. i don't know who approve of the obstruction and lack of ideas that is going forth. but i don't think anybody thinks we're a drain. everything is eager as you saw congressman markey. our members are fang out to help each other, to help win the house for the democrats, to help elect barack obama and joe biden. that's the most important thing. >> woodruff: but it's a challenge. the republicans picked up how much seats in the house in 2010? it was a huge year for the tea party, the republicans, you lost the speaker's gavel and the consensus seems to be it's a really long hall for democrats to win back the house? >> what i say is don't agonize, organize. it's exactly what we're doing. we have great candidates and that is the most important part of it. we the only need to win 25 seats. although they won many seatings,

i wasn't that many votes. only 250,000 votes that lost the majority in the house. we think in a presidential year that we can pick up at least 25 seats with president obama at the top of the ticket. >> you think you can regain the majority? >> i think it's very close. i think under the leadership of steve israel, our chairman, it's a 50/50 thing. it could could this way or that way by a few votes but we're not ceding one grain of safnld we're fighting every fight, precinct by -- mnchts ano ymano. >> not men, mano hand. >> my being illiterate. >> i'm italian -- [ laughter ] >> the democrats have been weakest on the house level and s- whites with high school and

some college, middle class. you are a party that talked so much tonight and all week about the middle class. why are those people not voting democratic? >> some of them are not. some of them are not. what i think we have to do is talk about the path that president obama wants to take us down. the path that he was on before, before the obstructionist republicans took over and blocked him at every turn and people have to make a choice between going back to where the -- the poll at thiscies under -- policies under president president bush or going forward and this is on jobs and political reform and emphasis on reducing the deficit. you remember when president clinton left office we were in $5.6 trillion until surplus.

under president bush it was turned around amount by the same amount an $11 trillion swing. i hear saying deciding voters concerned about the deficit but the republicans never cared about the deficit when president bush was amassing it during his eight years in office. >> ifill: instead they are spending time talking about unemployment rate, mark? >> i know your capacity and unsurpassed ability to fund raise. you've raised over $300 million. the longest established campaign reformer in washington told me nobody is more committed to finance change that he has met than nancy pelosi. what would you do to change this? we're awash in a wave of money this year. what would you change? >> i issued a dare. d, disclose i'm nancy pelosi a prove this will message.

i have to say that but billionaires putting hundreds of millions on the table do not have to identify themselves as sponge an ad. disclosure is transparency, sunshine very important. amend the constitution to overturn citizens united. it was a wrong decision. we have to begin the process. we can do it. reform, d-a-r, reform. i'm talking about campaign finance reform to the extent of public financing of campaigns and e elect performance. we have to do that to take the democracy back fromhe pliew -- pliew tock casey it's become under citizens united. our founders sacrificed for the government of many inch how much

enthusiasm is key to getting barack obama reelected? >> i think it's an unusual year in that i think enthusiasm on both sides is really going to determine the outcome of the election. i think you've seen enough time go by where people are competing for a sliver of votes, maybe a million and a half votes and that is one thing. but at the same time, people are digging deeply into their base for turnout mano y mano, door-to-door. we learned a new term. the minority leader in the house, nancy pelosi. >> thank you. >> woodruff: thank you very much. go back to ray on the floor. >> suarez: i'm with congresswoman barbara lee, a veteran member of the house from oakland, california. >> woodruff: i think we had a

little difficulty there with ray's microphone. we're going to -- we're going to try to get ray back. let's see ray. this is the mayor of minimum april list. his name is r.t. rybak. he's in the third term as the mayor of minimum -- minneapolis. >> in minimum april list president president obama's leadership has helped us train 500 unemployed worker and clean energy jobs. in denver, hundreds more are working on the commuter line. in minimum -- minimum -- minneapolis where we know the tragedy of bridge collapse thank you president obama for rebuilding the bridge and that bridge in lowfl and -- louisville and bridges and infrastructure across this country. thank you, president obama.

president obama did all this and much, much more in spite of a republican party that said it's number one goal wasn't to solve any of these problems. they said the number one goal was to stop barack obama. think about this, ladies and gentlemen, in the middle of one of greatest crisis in american history they sat on their hands and play politics. look, i was raised a republican, but i don't recognize a once proud party hijacked by extremists who driven it off the flat ernl they pretend we're living on. they spent eight years creating a colossal mess, and the last four doing almost nothing except, of course, trying to blame it on president obama. hey, pyromantic -- pyromaniacs shouldn't blame the firefighters. now mitt romney wants to go back

to the bad old days that got us into this mess. he would give up everything that creates opportunity for the middle class just to pay for the massive tax breaks for those who are already very, very comfortable. romney's message is clear: in tough times, folks, you are on your own. now, president obama knows something different. he knows that america became great because in tough times we come together. my pioneer relatives didn't cross the plains alone they did it in a wagon train. my immigrant relatives who settled in a tiny town in minnesota could succeed in their general store on main street could suck seed because they needed the farmers and the farmers needed them. when it snows in minnesota today, all over town, people look in on the elderly neighbor and shovel their walk. when my dad died and left my mom with three kids and a drugstore

in the inner city, they picked up the pieces and i owe everything to her, but my mom would be the first to tell you she didn't do it alone. we were surround bade community of support. in tough times we come together. it's the most basic american value. it's the value that built the midwest. president obama learned that from his kansasan family and he believes where every person, hubert humphrey said, can walk out of shadows and into the bright sunlight of equal rights where you can serve the country you love without hiding who you love and every child -- every child -- can live the american dream. we come together in tough times. you know, back on that cold day in buffalo center, i was so incredibly proud to support a man named barack obama.

i am so much more proud today. back then i hoped he would be a great leader and today i know it. they tried to stop barack obama but they couldn't because they underestimated president obama and more important they underestimated you. president obama has earned every gray hair on his head. fighting for the middle class and every american, now it's time to stand up, america, and fight for this man as hard as he has fought for you. if you do that, we've come a long way but the best is yet to come. let's go get 'em! >> ifill: they are moving them in and moving them out. they are one person after the other is rousing this crowd which is -- when they slow down a little bit they start to dance. come together podium is jared

polis, one of the few openly gay members of congress. >> we're watching joe biden and -- >> i'm jewish, i'm gay. i'm a father. i'm an entrepreneur and a congressman from the great state of colorado. [cheers and applause] but first and foremost, first and foremost i'm an american and the america that i believe in is the america barack obama believes in. it's the america you believe in one where if you play by the rules and work hard, you can get ahead and succeed and live the american dream, one in which loving families of all forms are respected and celebrated as a backbone of society. one in which today's divisions become tomorrow's unit, in which we transcend partisan bickering arkd work together to forge a better future for ourselves and our families. diversity is america's strength

and only by working together as one nation can be form a more perfect union. that's why president obama brought to washington a vision for one america, an american in which we can overcome divisions of red and blue to make our country better. it's why he is fighting to make citizenship a reality for young immigrants who good to college and serve in our military. [cheers and applause] it's why he repealed don't ask don't tell so that no person is prevented from serving the country they love because of who they love. [cheers and applause] and it's why barack obama became the first sitting president in american history to show his personal support for same-sex marriage. [cheers and applause] consistently over the last four years as our nation has strugglinged through the worst depression -- recession since the great depression. barack has shown strong leadership and take on politics

as usual. he has challenged our nation to come together. barack obama is the first presidential candidate to refuse contributions from lobbyists. he set strictist ethics rules in the history of the executive branch. his vision for one america, one in which we can overcome our divisions to make our country greater continues to be an enormous challenge to washington, d.c., a town professional pundits and polls whose entire livelihood is never-ending partisan bickering. now is our chance to tell the dividers, no, to tell the sprifts no -- special interests, no, to tell the pacs no and our fellow countrymen and country women, gay and strich, muslims, jews, christians nonbelievers, east and west, north and south it's time to tell them yes!

together -- together we are stronger, together we are better, together we are america. and that's why we must continue bringing america together. so tonight i don't just ask my fellow americans to respect my relationship with my parter marlon and my role as a father to our son, i also ask my fellow americans to respect the christian family concerned about decaying moral val yooz and crash commercialism. i ask my fellow americans to respect the difficult decision of a single mother to bring a child into this worlds but of her beliefs. s that you why we must help her have the support she needs after her child is born. [ applause ] we celebrates americans of all backgrowns and beliefs even republicans because it's their future, too. they might have mocked our desire to heal the planet but

we'll heal it for republicans, too and create jobs and improve our schools for republicans, too. we're a diverse country but we are one country and the our best when we come together as americans not despite our differences b.u. but in celebration of them. from the newest arrivals to our native american brothers and sphrs, we're one america. barack obama understands that together we can take on any challenge and together we can move our country forward, out of many, we are one. god bless america! [cheers and applause] >> woodruff: representative jared polis of colorado. you can see the gorgeous ski slopes for those of you who like to ski behind him, behind the podium here at the democratic national convention in charlotte, north carolina. not a whole lot of skiing in north carolina but a little

about it. joining us here at the sky box is tim kaine, fomenter governor of commonwealth of virginia, also the former chairman of this democratic party and right now he is a candidate for the united states senate. governor kaine it's good to see you. >> great to be with you. thanks. >> woodruff: this convention tonight feels like something you would see in the middle of new york city or another big american city. it doesn't have the feel of a convention. >> first praise to charlotte. i was the chair and chose it as a city because they were so excited to welcome everyone here. they are doing a great job. you have a wonderful feeling in the room. people know that the next nine weeks are real challenging but there's a lot of excitement. >> ifill: it should be said that v.a. v- is front and center on the floor. that's not by accident. >> it's not by accident. we were used to nosebleed seats before but 2008 and 2012 we got good seats. >> ifill: you used yourselves

as check mate to describe the role that virginia has in this process. does it help you running for senate? >> i think it helps. i'm a virginians before i'm a politician. we were irrelevant in presidential politics. if you -- democrat, republican or independent you were watching what happened in ohio or florida but now that we're relevant everybody in virginia gets to seat candidates up close and personal. the president information norfolk today. everybody in virginia knows that they matter which is really great. >> woodruff: the president won virginia in 2008 it's a lot tougher this time. why? >> well, look. it is it's a challenging race. it's very close. it was a close race until the end in virginia in 2008. a lot of folks didn't think he could do it. i think the president has shown in virginia that he has a high floor for interesting reasons. as you are wresting, for

example, with the deficit. one side would say deal wit through cuts. pledge allegiance to grover norquist. we're so connected to spending. people realize we have to find savings but have balance, too. and second, the president won virginia by six points in 2008 when i was, you know, a neophite running against a war hero. this president say battle tested war-time president running against a new comer to the foreign relations stage. one of three of us in v.a. v- are directly connected to the militarism he will do better among those voters in 2012 in virginia than in 2008. >> democrats tend to be moderate on gun and social issues. is that the party we're seeing this week? is it true? is the democratic party that the

moderates are out of step? >> when i made my pitch on the stage a minute ago i talked about democrats we're results people. we do our best work when we let the other folks be ideology people and we become the results people. that's what brought virginia democrats from the wilderness -- we turned it from red to purple. at the national level we've got to do the same thing. i was make mg i case for the president tonight based on results. big problems how do we get out of iraq? we did it. how do we get osama bin laden? we did it. let's downdrawn afghanistan. in virginia for the first time in ten years none of virginia guard units are deploy the ployed outside of virginia. 15,000 guardsmen and women were demied in the last ten years and they are home today. it's important. >> ifill: governor kanie we have to go to the floor. nance yeah keegan the president of national abortion rights

action league. thank you, governor. ♪ [cheers and applause] hello, delegates. [cheers and applause] on behalf of nara prochoice america and our one million activities, i'm honored to be here to talk to you about what is at stake for women in 2012. i am proud to say that the democratic party believes that women have the right to choose a safe, legal abortion with dignity and with privacy. [cheers and applause] we believe in family planning because it helps to prevent unintended pregnancy.

we believe that a woman considering an abortion should not be forced to have an ultrasound against her will. [cheers and applause] we believe -- we believe that rape is rape. [cheers and applause] we believe -- we believe that a woman should make health care decisions with her family, her doctor and her god. [cheers and applause] and we believe that there is no room for politicians especially those politicians who don't know how women's bodies work. [cheers and applause]

we are proud, we are so proud to have a president who stands with women and who trusts women. [cheers and applause] a president who signed into law one of the greatest advance. s for women's health in a generation -- advancements for women's health in a generation. a president who believes in a woman's right to make her own decisions. [cheers and applause] i know this president, and i can tell you that he cares deeply about the next generation of young women in this country, his daughters, all of our dghters. president obama had the courage to stand with sandra fluck.

without hesitation he defended her right to tell her story. mitt romney did not. that moment -- that moment illustrates what is at stake in this election. put simply: women in america cannot trust mitt romney. [cheers and applause] we cannot trust mitt romney to protect our health. he would repeal obamacare taking aware our access to better maternity and prenatal care and the law's near universal coverage of birth control.

we cannot trust mitt romney to respect our rights. he would overturn roe v. wade and sign into law a wave of outrageous restrictions on a woman's ability to make decisions about her pregnant six mitt romney would take away our power to make decisions about our lives and our future. but there is one decision that he cannot take away and that's the one women will make on november 6. [cheers and applause] i want to leave you with a story tonight: one that serves as my inspiration. i grew up in annaanaconda,

montana, it is in the heafort state's mining country. my dad worked at the copper smelter. it was a dangerous place where copper would boil at 1200 degrees. he had a brass tag and on it was his number 720. workers like my dad would throw their number in a bucket as they arrived for their shift and at the end of the day, they would hang it on a peg board so their buddies would know they made it out safely. every day my dad through that tag in that bucket, he did it for his family. he did it for his car workers he did it for his community. he did it for his country. he passed away -- he passed away

when i was in my 20s, before i decided to run for public office. i carried that brass tag with me during every campaign in montana. [cheers and applause] this number symbolizing the value of hard work and opportunity and the importance of sticking together. we are ready to do the hard work. we are ready to work together. we are ready to reelect president barack obama. [cheers and applause] >> woodruff: nancy keenan the president of national abortions action league making her position clear. >> women deserve to determine the course of their own lives.

i gotta tell ya, don't assume that every voter knows what barack obama has done for the women in this country. and don't assume that they know the truth about mitt romney. tonight i'm asking you to talk with your friends, your neighbors, your relatives, even the ones you have never talked to about reproductive rights. that's how you can throw your tag into the bucket and stand with a president that has stood with us. conversation by conversation, vote by vote, door by door, we will reelect president barack obama. [cheers and applause] i will see on the campaign trail! thank you very much. [cheers and applause] >> woodruff: our apologies for stepping in before nancy keenan was finishes the president of

the national abortion rights action league planting a flag making it clear where the democratic party stands when it comes to reproductive rights and refer together very controversial statement from todd akin about rape. she mentioned that and very tough words about mitt romney saying he would take women back -- take away women's rights. we're going take a short break now ourselves. we'll be back with our live broadcast in a few moments. you can continue watching the proceedings on the live stream.n

newshour special coverage of 2012 democratic national convention. i'm again gwen ifill. >> woodruff: i'm judy woodruff. we we were hearing that there's no doubt where the party stands on women's reproductive rights but we have to say nancy keenan got the crowd going. >> she said the word abortion. i don't think it was spoken before she said it. they were always talking in terms of choice. she is very emphatic and unequivocal. this is really a prochoice women -- prochoice voters night. if repetition is the first law of learning they are practice it tonight. >> i failed linguistics when

nancy pelosi was here. >> mano y mano. >> i took french. >> every speaker a politician, labor leader, activity not a single person from the private sector. if republicans were accuse of talking to themselves as a part of small business the democrats are talking to themselves. >> woodruff: the night is young. >> ifill: i am curious if you noticed the same thing. >> the party of government is that what you are say something in. >> yes. >> i don't even get that. if they were celebrating government that would be one thing. talking about governmental achievement it's talking essentially raising this issue and drawing this difference between them and the republicans. they've concluded that this is -- they want to make this race -- when abortion is quite frankly about 9th on an issue

list. >> ifill: now walking out on the stage is cami duckworth, an illinois national guard member wounded in the war in iraq and assistant secretary for veteran affairs getting a very warm welcome on the floor. >> my name is tammy duckworth. my father served in the army and marine corps oohrah. a vietnam vet. his family has worn our nation's uniform since the revolution. my husband is an army officer and my brother saved lives in the coast guard.

my mom is thai and chinese she proudly became a citizen in her 50s. dad's work -- dad's work took us all over the world until he lost his job. it was a tough time. we used up our savings, moved into a studio apartment, but our family did the responsible thing and we rolled up our sleeves. mom took in suing. my 55-year-old dad kept looking for work. but at 15 years old, i was only the one with a job after school for minimum wage. thank god for the food stamps, public education, and pell grants that helped me finish high school and college. [cheers and applause] in time, we pulled through. with this start, i was able to earn my own commission as an

army officer, and i became an assault helicopter pilot working my up to command a blackhawk helicopter company. [cheers and applause] in 2003, my national guard unit was mobilized and i became one of first army women to fly combat missions in iraq. and almost -- almost a year into my tour i was wounded and recovered at walter reed with other wounded warriors. some of us are obvious injuries, others had scars on inside that were less visible but no less real. at the hospital, i realized my new responsibility, to honor the buddies who saved me by serving our military men and women and i became the director of the

illinois department of veterans affairs. [cheers and applause] we led the nation -- we led the nation in screening for traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress and we created a tax credit for illinois businesses that hire veterans. then president obama asked me to help keep our sacred trust with veterans of all eras at the u.s. department of veterans affairs. we worked to end the outrage of veterans slope og the same streets they once defended. we improved services for female veterans, and i reached out to young vets by creating the office on online communication. barack has also lived up to his responsibilities as commander in chief. , ending the war in iraq, refolk refolk -- refocusing on afghanistan and eradicating

terrorist leaders including bin laden. [cheers and applause] president obama pushed for fairness in the military, listening to commanders as we ended don't ask don't tell and -- [cheers and applause] -- and on how to allow women to officially serve in more combat jobs. don't you think -- don't you think it's time that we stopped being surprised that america's daughters are just as cape -- capable of doing their jobs and defending liberty as her sons? [cheers and applause] when it comes to our men and women in harm's way, we have a clear choice on november 6. last week mitt romney had a chance to show his support for the brift -- the brave men and women he is seeking to command but he chose to criticize president obama instead of even

uttering the word afghanistan. barack obama will never ignore our troops. he will fight for them. that's why he is my choice on november 6, my choice -- [cheers and applause] my choice is to do what my family dm when times were hard, roll up our sleefs -- sleeves and get to work. my choice is to do what my crew did for me in a dusty field in iraq. on november 1, 2004, i was copilotting my blackhawk north of baghdad when we started taking enemy fire. a rocket propelled grenade hit our helicopter, exploding in my lap, ripping off one leg, crushing the other and tearing my right arm apart but i kept trying to fly until i passed out and that moment my vieferral and the survival of my entire crew

depended on all of us pulling together. even though they were wounded themselves and insurgents were nearby, they simply refused to leave a fallen comrade behind. their heroism is why i'm alive today and ultimately -- [cheers and applause] and ultimately that is what this election is about. yes, it's about the issues that matter to me, building -- building an economic that will create jobs here at home, that -- building an economy that will create jobs at home and competing around the world. it's about something else, it's

about doing for fellow american what's my crew did for me, whether we'll look out for the hardest hit and disabled, whether we'll pull together in a team of need, whether we'll refuse to give up until the job is done. lets let's finish what we started. let's keep moving forward with barack obama. let's do what this country has always done. look adversity in the eye and work together to overcome it. god bless our military men and women in harm's way today. god bless their families and always god bless the united states of america. [cheers and applause] >> woodruff: congressional candidate tammy duckworth sharing her remarkable story. her presence on the stage and you heard her tell what happened and you see vice president biden there with the delegates. she's getting a standing ovation. he has the crowd waving american

flags chanting u.s.a., u.s.a. as she said governor romney never uttered the word afghanistan in his remarks. >> ifill: now rhode island independent governor lincoln chafee, a former republican senator >> good evening and thank you for having me here to celebrate with all of you as the nation's only independent governor, i'm here tonight to join with my democratic friends -- [cheers and applause] -- on the eve of an election critical to the future of our children and their country. as a former republican, i represent a group of americans who all too often have no one to speak for them. they group doesn't necessarily have a name. we've been called moderate but that term can be misleading.

there's nothing moderate about our love of country or our passion for america's future. there's nothing moderate about our desire to work together within the broad political center in which most americans live. no matter what you call us though this is certain: there are a lot of us and all over the country and in november we will once again help elect. barack president of the united states. [cheers and applause] we are at our core conservatives in the best sense of the word. ment thoughtful, responsible with public resources and respectful of personal freedom and we're liberal in the best sense of the word. we believe that government can and should be an instrument for the greater good. and although my former party has hijacked the term, there's really nothing conservative

about today's republican party. no. [cheers and applause] in fact, there's no room there for traditional conservatives like us. but i am proud to say that in my friend, president. barack, we've found a -- president. -- president barack obama we've found a friend who holds these principles dear. we love this land. we believe in steward ship protecting our air and water because despite what big business and this party would have you believe destroying these precious resources will cost us far more in the future than preserving them now. second, we believe in personal freedom. we do not want the government controlling our personal lives

or most personal decisions. believing in freedom as we do, we don't think it's the role of government to pass judgment on a relationship between two consengt adults regardless of their orientation. that's freedomment and believing in freedom we believe a woman should make her own reproductive decisions. [cheers and applause] third we take seriously the decision to enter into foreign entanglements. during the last administration then senator owe -- obama and i served together. we shared a desire to end the attitude of arrogance and recklessness on matters of war and peace that characterized those years. president obama knows wars are not to be entered into lightly. he knows overseas conflicts

don't only do damage in the land in which they are fought but the land of those who fight them as well. fourth, we believe in using the tools of government to help americans help themselves. for instance,, programs such as head start and pell grants have brightened the futures of countless american young people and given them a hand-up into the middle class. now mitt romney and the republicans are proposing a budget that would squeeze the life out of headstart and pell grants. let me ask you: should only the children of wealthy have access to early education? should only the children of wealthy have access to a college degree? no the answer is absolutely no. american education is still the wonder of the world and we must open the schoohouse doors.

students of america working families of america, president obama will not turn his back on you. [cheers and applause] finally, we believe in fiscal responsibility. we think it's reasonable to pay for a valuable service that the people want but asking everyone to do their part. the lack of fiscal responsibility is one of main reasons i finally left my old party. [cheers and applause] in -- that's right. that's right. in 2001, president bill clinton handed the republicans a surplus and they went on to scwawnder it -- squander that surplus by launching two wars and giving tax cuts and failing to pay for any of these. mitt romney and paul ryan want

to return to the fantasyland of never having having having to ps we buy such education, medical research, good roads and cleefn energy. that's not conservative, that's not responsible and that's not what this country needs. [ applause ] the values i have spoken of tonight are not republican or democratic value they are american values. they are the values of abraham lincoln who affirmed a dignity of all americans regardless of the color of their skin. they are the values of theodore roosevelt who protected the environmental development. these are the values of eisenhower who presided over an era of peace and prosperity because he knew that those two conditions go together. these are american values but

because they have no place in today's republican party, neither do i and neither do millions like me. [cheers and applause] but my fellow traditional conservatives, my fellow moderates, my fellow independents there's a candidate who shares our values, a candidate who share ours belief in environmental protection, personal liberties, smart and responsible american leadership, degreing the middle class and fiscal discipline. that candidate is our president, barack obama. thank you. >> woodruff: former republican senator from the state of rhode island, now the independent governor of the state of rhode island lincoln chafee. let's go back to ray and the interview did he earlier with congresswoman barbara lee of

california. >> suarez: i'm with congresswoman barbara lee from oakland, california. last week we heard the republican party make a sustained argument that because the president hadn't accomplished the thinged he promises in 2008 we shouldn't rehire him. what is the democratic counter argument? s but a lot of people in places like oakland are still suffering? >> sure. the counter argument is first of all we have to remember that president obama saved this country from going into a deep depression. he saved us from leading. and it is a fact that the president's american recovery act created more jobs, the stimulus act, the investments and infrastructure, getting people back to work, making sure that teacher and firefighters and first responders were not laid off. that made a huge, huge difference. we have a more to do. the unemployment was much too high. i have to tell you one thing as a member of congress i see each

and every day the obstructionist agenda of the republicans. mitch mcconnell said early on the first priority office to make sure president obama was not reelected. they tried to stop his agenda to create jobs at any cost. secondly, let me just remind the public that the tax cuts under the bush administration to billionaires and millionaires are totally unfair. it's created a huge deficit in this country. the president has moved forward to create tax cuts for middle income individuals and working to really help those who are low-income, those who need education, pell grants, higher ed. if you look at the health reform bill, benefits people already have received through the affordable care act. i have to remind the public we were in much worse shape than when he was elected four years ago. >> ifill: we go to the floor for testimony about arizona

mother on health care. >> we were so excited for president obama when we voted for him but that's not true. today there was the day affordable care angt passed and i no longer had to worry about getting zoe the care she needed. there was the day the letter arrived from the insurance company saying that our daughter's lifetime company had been lifted. [cheers and applause] there was the day the supreme court upheld obamacare. [cheers and applause] like so so many moms -- knowinge have that net below us to catch us if we fall or if god forbid zoe needs a heart transplant obamacare provides my family security and relief. [cheers and applause] but we're also scared.

governor romney repealing health care reform is something we worry about literally every single day. zoe's third open heart surgery will happen either next year or the year after. if mitt romney becomes president and obama care is repealed there's a good chance she'll hit her lifetime cap. there's no way we could afford to pay for all the care she needs to survive. when you have a sick child it's always in the back of your mind and sometimes in the front of your mind. on top of that worrying that people would let an insurance company take away her health care because of politics -- one in 100 children are born with a congenital heart defect, president obama is fighting for

them. [cheers and applause] he's fighting for families like mine and we need to fight for him. [cheers and applause] >> ifill: you bring a little girl on to the stage and there's people crying and screaming and a lot of life and got emotional but that is emotional. >> woodruff: it's pretty powerful, gwen, saying bluntly if mitt romney is elected president they won't be able to afford the operation her daughter needs. it doesn't get more direct than that. >> i doesn't. i thought the last two have hit a different theme altogether, tammy duckworth's personal narrative is quite compelling. i mean her personal story about where they came from and the crew as being the metaphor for the democratic party and what a community should be and the health care and what it means to an individual.

something quite frankly the administration has not been able to do is put in personal terms. it was quite compelling. >> woodruff: this is the governor of the state of ohio ted strickland -- former governor of the state of ohio. >> let me tell you, folks in ohio knows what happens when you have a president who stands up for average working people. ina sidney is a grandmother who lost her ability to provide for her family when they closed down the auto plant in perriesburg, ohio. she said thanks thanks to baraca for having the courage to back an industry others had given up on. she's an auto worker and breadwinner once again. as he celebrated the birth of his newborn baby boy brian lost his job at the moment he needed it most but today he is back

making auto batteries in a factory in springfield township, ohio. [cheers and applause] and he says there's only one reason he has a steady paycheck again, president obama refused to let the american auto industry die. [cheers and applause] james fason felt like off. i believe in working every day, he said, and that was taken from me. but today james is working 60 hours a week on the jeep liberty line in toledo, ohio. he's thrilled to say that his life right now is eat, sleep and jeep. [cheering and applause] he's back, he said, because

barack obama gave us a chance for a comeback. the auto industry supports one out of every eight jobs in ohio, and it's alive and growing in america again. late last year chrysler announced they were hiring 1,100 new autoworkers in toledo. just last month gm announced the plan to invest $200 million in lordstown, keeping 5,000 jobs in ohio and building the next generation of the chevy cruz, a car we are proud to say is made entirely in ohio. [cheering and applause] and just today, just today the big three automakers all announced that their auto sales are up by double-digits since

last year. it's been a long slog back, and we've still got a long way to go, but all over america, all over ohio, men and women are going back to work with the pride of building something stamped "made in america." [cheering and applause] before barack obama took office, it looked like that pride could have vanished forever. but today, from the staggering depths of the great recession, the nation has had 29 straight months of job growth. [applause] workers across my state and across the country are getting back to work the dignity of having a good job and a good salary. you know, vince lombardi was

right when he said, "it's not whether you get knocked down. it's whether you get back up." and, my friends, my friends, they were all knocked down, but ina, brian and james are all standing today. the auto industry is standing today. the middle class is standing today. ohio is standing today. america is standing strong today. [cheering and applause] that's what happens. that's what happens when you have a president who stands up for average, working people. barack obama has stood up for us, and now, by god, we will stand up for him. [cheering and applause]

quite frankly, quite frankly, barack obama knows what it's like to pay a mortgage and students loans, and he knows what it's like to watch a beloved family member in a medical crisis and worry that treatment may be out of reach. barack obama knows our struggles, and, my friends, he shares our values. now, now, mitt romney, he lives by a different code. to him american workers are just numbers on a spreadsheet, to him all profits are created equal whether made on our shores or off. that's why companies that romney invested in were dubbed "outsourcing pioneers." now, you know our nation was

built by pioneers, pioneers who accepted untold risks in pursuit of freedom, not by pioneers seeking off-shore profits at the expense of american workers here at home. mitt romney proudly wrote an op-ed entitled "let detroit go bankrupt." you know, if he had had his way, devastation would have cascaded from michigan to ohio and across the nation. mitt romney never saw the point of building something when he could profit by tearing it down. if mitt was santa claus, he would fire the reindeer and outsource the elves. [applause] mitt has so little economic

patriotism that even his money needs a passport. it summers on the beaches of the caiman islands and winters on the slopes of the swiss alps. in matthew chapter 6 verse 21, the scriptures teach us that where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. and, my friends, my friends, any man who aspires to be our president should keep both his treasure and his heart in the united states of america. [cheering and applause] and, you know... and, you know,

it's well past time for mitt romney to come clean with the american people on what he's saying about the president's policies of welfare to work. he's lying, as simple as that. and on his tax returns, he's hiding. you know, you have to wonder just what is so embarrassing that he's going to such great lengths to bury the truth. but whatever he's doing to avoid taxes, can it possibly be worse than the ryan-romney tax plan that would have sliced mitt's total tax rate to less than 1%? [audience reacts]

and so, my friends, there is a true choice in this election. barack obama is betting on the american worker. mitt romney is betting on a bermuda shell corporation. barack obama saved the american auto industry. mitt romney saved on his taxes. barack obama is an economic patriot. mitt romney is an outsourcing pioneer. my friends, the stakes are too high, the differences too stark to sit this one out. so let us stand as one on november 6th and move this country forward by reelecting president barack obama. thank you.

>> ifill: former ohio governor ted strickland. we're joined here by brian schweitzer as we wait for kathleen sebelius, the secretary of human services to come out. what did you think of that speech? we're going to come to you in a moment. i realized you're mott miced up. here comes kathleen sebelius anyway. we'll come back to you after that. >> from 1965 to 1967, my dad jack gilligan served in congress and helped passes landmark laws like the voting rights act. dad later became another great governor of ohio, but one of his proudest accomplishments was when as a congressman he helped to draft and pass medicare. today dad's 91, and he's happy beneficiary of that effort to bring quality health care to

every senior citizen. and president obama is bidding on that legacy. by bringing quality and secure health care to every american. i was governor of kansas when mitt romney was governor of massachusetts. now, many of us watched in amazement, envy even, as he passed a universal health care law in his state. well, republicans may see romney care as a scarlet letter, but for us democrats, obamacare is a badge of honor. [applause] because no matter who you are, what stage of life you're in, this law is a good thing. first, if you already have insurance you like, you can keep it. insurance companies can no longer refuse to cover americans with preexisting conditions. that's what change looks like. more than five million seniors

have already saved money on their prescription drugs, and almost 33 million have benefited from free preventative services. the president's cracked down hard on medicare and health care fraud, recovering a record-breaking 10.7 bill whereon dollars over the last three years pro, teching our senior citizens. that's what change looks like. this law gives tax credits to 360 small businesses so they can give their employees health coverage. and an array of affordable, private insurance plans to choose from. that's what change looks like. if you're self-employed, between jobs or can't get insurance through work, you'll have access to affordable health insurance, as good as congressman paul ryan's. that's what change looks like. if you're under 26, you can stay on your parents' plan.

you can go back the school or get extra training without fear of a health catastrophe bankrupting your entire family. over three million previously uninsured young adults are now on their parents plans. that's what change looks like. under obamacare, insurance companies can no longer discriminate against women. now, before some didn't even cover women's most basic health needs like contraception and maternity care, but still charged us up to 50% more than men for a worse plan. they said women who had c-sections or survived breast cancer or even domestic violence had a preexisting condition and would deny them coverage. but this president made it illegal to discriminate against women. [applause] and ended the practice of insurance companies charging women higher premiums than men

for the same coverage. the president ensured women's free access to preventative services like breast cancer screenings, so the good news is being a mother is no longer a liability and being a woman is no longer a preexisting condition. now that's what change looks like. today nearly 13 million americans, including some of you in this hall, are experiencing something remarkable. instead of sending your checks to your insurance companies, your insurance companies are sending a check to you, over a billion dollars out this year alone, because if insurers don't spend at least 50% of your premium dollars on your health care, you get a refund. that's what change looks like. now, i've spent my career fighting the worst practices of

insurance companies. i know how tough it is to stand up to powerful forces that pray on consumers. governor romney and paul ryan know how tough it is, too. that's why they won't do it. they'll let insurance companies continue to cherry pick who gets coverage and who gets left out, priced out or locked out of the market. president obama is making sure that everyone, from cancer survivors to children with asthma, get the care they need. what's missing from the romney-ryan plan for medicare is medicare. so instead of the medicare guarantee, republicans would give seniors a voucher that limits what's covered. costing seniors as much as $6,400 more a year. president obama extended the program's life by eight years while improving seniors' benefits and strengthening the medicare guarantee. the president agrees there

should be no vouchers. [applause] romney and ryan will take away women's basic health services and turn a blind eye to insurance discrimination. president obama stands up for women, giving us control over our own health care. romney and ryan would put insurance companies back in control. now, barack obama was raised by kansas women. i know kansas women. they taught him the values of hard work and responsibility and fairness. that's why president obama believes that if you work hard and play by the rules, you deserve the security of health care. governor romney, congressman ryan and their republican colleagues say it's everyone for themselves, and that's fundamentally the choice in this election. between republicans who only fight for the favored few or a president who fights for the

middle class. between nation whose politics play on the worst of our fears and a nation whose law reflects the best of our values. 47 years ago, my dad proudly watched president johnson sign medicare into law. that day president johnson said few people have the courage to stake reputation and position and the effort of a lifetime on such a cause when there are so few that share it. president obama is one of those people. a leader with uncommon compassion and uncommon courage, he's earned more than our gratitude. he has earned four more years. [cheering and applause] >> warner: first cabinet secretary in the obama administration to speak at this

convention, kathleen sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, carrying the banner for health care reform. and here comes rahm emanuel, the mayor of chicago. he was barack obama's first white house chief of staff. >> good evening. from president obama's hometown of chicago... [cheering and applause] ... it's my hon moore to speak to you about the president i sperved. i want to tell you what i saw up close. while serving our president in a time of crisis, about the central brews he leans on and the voices he listens to. when president obama entered the white house, the economy was in a freefall. the auto industry on its back, the banks frozen up, more than four million americans had

already lost their jobs, and america's bravest, our men and women in uniform, were fighting for what soon would be the longest war in our history. you remember the uncertainty and the fear that seized our country. on that first day, i said, mr. president, which crisis do you want to tackle first. he looked me in the eye with that look he usually reserves just for his chief of staff, "rahm, we were sent here to tackle all of them, not choose between them." [applause] there was no blueprint or how-to manual for fixing a global financial meltdown, an auto crisis, two wars and a great recession all at the same time. believe me, if it existed, i would have found it. each crisis was so deep and so

dangerous, any one of them would have defined another presidency. we faced a once-in-a-generation moment in american history, and fortunately for all of us we have a once-in-a-generation president. and in those uncharted waters, i saw where the president finds his north star. every night president obama reads ten letters from everyday americans. when i met with the president at the end of each day, he made sure he had their letters to read at his residence, letters from people just hoping for someone in power to understand their struggles. i can't tell you how many times, whether we were discussing the

economy, health care or another crisis, the president would take out another letter, read it to us, and say, "this is who we are fighting for," parents working hard to save for their child's education, middle-class americans fighting tooth and nail to hold on the their jobs, their homes or their life save lings. it is their voices that president obama brings to the oval office. it is their values i saw him fight for every day. in the first months in office, he fought for the american recovery act to, cut taxes for the middle class, to put people to work building roads, rails and runways. today our economy has gone from losing 800,000 jobs a month to adding 4.5 million private sector jobs in the last 29 months. things are slowly but surely blending again, and never again will taxpayers foot the bull for

wall street's excesses. in case we forgot, that was the change we believed in, that was the change we fought for, that was the change president obama delivered. president obama took office knowing full well that for the last century presidents had tried to reform our health care system. today, because of president obama's courage, kids can stay on their parents' plan until they're 26. insurers can't kick you off your policy because you have a preexisting limit, because you're hit the preexisting limit. they won't be able to deny you because you have a preexisting condition. because of president obama's leadership, every american will have access to affordable quality health care. that was the change we believed in. that was the change we fought for. that was the change president obama delivered. i saw the president make the tough calls in the situation room.

and today our troops in iraq have finally come home so america can do some nation building here at home. that was change we believed in, that was the change we fought for, that was the change president obama delivered. i remember when the president received the report that the auto industry had a few weeks before its collapse. we met in the roosevelt room rate -- late into the night. some of the president's advisers said that in order to save general motors you had to let chrysler go under. others said it's like throwing good money after bad. among all the experts, there were only guesses and nobody put it better than a 1 in 4 shot. only the president suggested going all in to save the industry and the jobs. [applause]

rising above all the voices in washington, president obama listened to the voices that mattered to him most, the voices of the autoworkers and the communities that depended on them. just like the voices of the steelworkers and the communities on the south side of chicago where he worked earlier in his career. to president obama, they weren't just companies that needed a loan. they were communities that needed a leader to stand up for them. and because president obama made the right choice, over one million americans are still working today. the american auto industry is not just surviving. it's thriving. where mitt romney was willing to turn his back on akron, dayton and toledo, ohio, the president said, i've got your back. that was a change we believed in. that was a change we fought for.

that was the change president obama delivered. and in those first few months, the president worked to put accountability into our children's schools with race to the top so that every child has an education that measures up to their full potential. he was willing to demand change and embrace reform. the president never changed his views to suit the moment or the audience. and that is also a measure of leadership. every challenge was different. every choice was difficult. but every time the leadership was steady. now, the one thing i know with absolute certainty, having served two great presidents, is that in the next four years, an unforeseen crisis, challenge or conflict is going to show up and seize this country. whose leadership, whose

judgment, whose values do you want in the white house when that crisis lands like a thud on the oval office desk. that's right, a person who said in four words -- let detroit go bankrupt -- or a president who had another four words -- not on my watch. [cheering and applause] a person who believes in giving tax cuts to the most fortunate, or a president who believes that making college affordable for all americans? a person who wanted to keep don't ask don't tell, or a president that believes that who you love should not keep you from serving the country that you love. believe me, having served two great presidents, when the fog of uncertainty that surrounds a crisis storms into the white house and all the adviseddors and chiefs of staff have only guesses and hedges to offer the president, it will be the

president's leadership that determines how we as a nation meet the challenges that face the middle class. it is the president's values that shape the future in which the middle class has hope, the person who takes the oath of office in the next four months will shape not just the next four years but the next 40 years of this great nation. in these next four years, we need proven leadership, proven judgment and proven values. america needs four more years of barack obama. thank you and god bless you! [cheering and applause] >> ifill: chicago mayor rahm emanuel delivering a full-throated endorsement of his former boss. we're joined by now montana governor brian schweitzer, who has been listening to these last couple of speeches. i want to go back to a couple speeches ago. former governor ted strickland of ohio, he was the opposite of what we saw. his was a full-throated attack on mitt romney. >> well, you know, it actually reminded me of just four years

ago in ted strickland's speech, he did a spectacular job tonight, but just four years ago he walked up to the podium, and the speech that was loaded for him started out by saying, "i'm a rancher from montana." you guys don't know this. he got up there and people all cheered. he said thank you, thank you. he pointed and then it took a while, and, of course, four years ago mine was pretty well received. later i said to ted, you should have just gone with it. >> warner: governor, you govern the state of montana. if the president should be given all of these things we've been listening to, especially from rahm emanuel, why is he having such a time in a place like your state? >> well, this has been tough times. nobody said this would be easy. do you remember on the 15th of september of 2008 when lehman brothers went down and every bank all around the world was on the edge of going upside down?

then the stock market lost 11% in september and then more and then more and then more. and the stock market was worth half of what it was just in september of 2008. the stock market's back. we've got back up to where we were, but we're growing jobs at a slow pace. >> >> warner: why isn't he being given credit for the kinds of things that we heard rahm emanuel, tough decision, he stood up to the auto industry. he ticked off several things. if you believe what he said, you're thinking, why don't people recognize that. >> you've been paying attention. there's two sides to this story. the republicans have been beating the drum and telling us their side of the story. and, you know, they've got a story to tell. but the facts are simple: we were in the ditch four years ago. we're back on the bus and we're headed back down the road. we're not going 75, but we're going to go there. >> but as you suggested, this election is about the economy and growth. we're scuffling around at 1.7,

2.1. so far i don't think i've heard a single growth agenda item. what's the democratic growth agenda to get us up to 4%? >> i don't know we heard anything from the republicans in tampa. our economy has fundamentally been changed. there's been a whole lot of outsourcing over the cows of the last ten, 20 years. because of inexpensive natural gas, electricity is the cheapest in america of any place on the planet. we have the best-trained, most motivated workforce, and for the first time in a generation we're bringing manufacturing jobs back to the united states. it's a good start. we got more work to do. >> governor schweitzer, you are term limited. barack obama is reelected, the race to succeed him begins. he faces the term limit, 22nd amendment to the constitution. how do you feel about term limits? do you think they're a good idea? do you think they're wise? ronald reagan said he thought voters had the final say on term limits and should have. >> i think there ought to be term limits for chief

executives. >> you do? >> i was reelected. got many more than twice as many votes as the guy running against me, but eight years is enough time. if you can't change the course of your state or your country in eight years, you're probably not going to get her done. for legislators, maybe there shouldn't be term limit, but for chief executives, come in, do your job, move on. >> >> ifill: you're the governor of a pretty red state. >> you think? >> ifill: are red states like yours permanently out of reach for democrats? >> i don't know about permanently. we last got to 50% with a president, candidate with lbj. so once or twice a century we might be able to get there. >> what about your senate race? you have a very competitive senate race this year. >> i looked at a lot of polls during the last 18 months. it's dog dang tied. it has been. the associated press has been calling around trying the find an undecided voter and can't find one. you have a congressman who is i think five terms, and we only

have one congressman in montana, so he's just as well-known as our u.s. senator. they like john chester more than they like this fellow, but there's more republicans than this are democrats. bottom line, both sides get your bases out and i like the chances of john kester, but it will be right down to the last day. >> warner: montana's democratic governor. >> ifill: i like that dong dang tied. >> i've only been here a few minutes and you've already voted me. >> governor. one of one, not one of 100. >> warner: we've been talking about the senate too much. do you think montana is out of reach for the president? >> this time probably. >> warner: is that right? >> he got to 48% last time, the best since lbj. you know, clinton won montana, but he only got it with 41% because old big ears got more than any place else in the country.

>> big ears big perot. >> ifill: you were well received four years ago. people were throwing things they were so happy when you came out. what has happened since then? what has your role in the party blown up because of that? >> well, what's happened since then? montana has won seven consecutive years with the largest budget surpluses in history. i've cut more taxes than any time in history. we've invested more in education and we found out that during the last few years montana's increasing the% of her population with a college degree fastest in the country, number one. >> ifill: that's all good news, governor. >> warner: i won't demote you anymore, the give of the state of montana. coming up now, craig robinson and maya soetoro. she is barack obama's sister. he is michelle obama's brother. >> from the great state of hawaii, i'm maya soetoro, an educator, mother of two and proud to be barack obama's little sister.

[cheering and applause] >> i'm craig robinson, michelle obama's big brother, father of four and head coach of oregon state university's men's basketball team. any seven footers out there, give me a call. >> craig and i come from different states. we've had different upbringings and, as you can see, we have different perspectives on the world. >> but no matter how different we may seem, we share a set of values our parents gave us. values the same in chicago as they are in honolulu. a willingness to work hard, a commitment to education and the responsibility to look out for each other. they're the values at theee of how barack and michelle have lived their lives, raised our nieces and led this country as president and first lady of the united states.

>> four years ago at this convention, i spoke with you all about how barack and i didn't grow up with much in the way of wealth, but we were blessed with a mother who taught us that education is the surest path from limited means to limitless opportunity. she inspired me to become a teacher, and she inspired barack's deep commitment to giving all our young people the opportunities our education gave us. he's made sure more of our youngest children have the stable foundation that head start provides. he's saved the jobs of teachers in our schools, and he's helped more of our students afford a higher education. our mother also taught us that everyone has worth, regardless of who they are or what they believe. that's what inspired barack's

vision for a more inclusive and compassionate america. everyone has a part to play in our shared story. he's made sure women can fight for equal pay for equal work and stood up for the freedom to make our own decisions about our health. he named two brilliant women who understand our lives to the supreme court. [applause] and i'll say it again, he ended don't ask don't tell so no one would ever have to hide who they love to serve. making sure everyone in america has a chance to make it like he did, that's what my wonderful big brother is all about, and that's what he'll do for four more years. >> four years ago, i told you how when she was a young girl michelle used to talk to me

about which kids at school were having a tough time at home. and didn't have anybody to stick up for them. and what inspired her most as she traveled this country on that campaign were the stories of brave americans who juggle everything at home while their husbands and wives are off at war. you see, america's military spouses and families make profound sacrifices, too, and michelle promised that if she had the privilege to serve as first lady, she would do everything she could to make sure america was there to honor, recognize and support their unique service. i've been so proud to watch her rally americans to give millions of hours of time and service to work with families. she's working with schools that educate military courses to add better courses.

when barack challenged businesses to hire 100,000 veterans and military spouse, michelle and jill biden rallied c.e.o.s to the cause. and last month they stood with c.e.o.s to announce they've hired 125,000 veterans and military spouses, surpassing the goal more than a year ahead of schedule. she's still the kind little sister she always was. now she's just sticking up for those who stand up for us. and i'm proud of her work to give our children a healthier start in life. and let's face it, maya, i could use the recruits. >> barack and michelle have always been there for us. tonight we are here for them. and with your help, we can fill the white house with their brand of warmth, compassion and commitment to all our people for

four more years. thank you so much. [applause] >> warner: maya soetoro-ng, the baby sister of president barack obama, and craig robinson, the brother of first lady michelle obama. >> ifill: now we're expecting a video on pay equity. >> every decision i make is all about ensuring that all of our daughters and all of our sons grow up in a country that gives them the equal chance to be anything they set their minds to, a country where more doors are open to them than were open to us. right now women are a growing number of breadwinners in the household, but they're still earning just 77 cents for every dollar a man does. even less if you're an african

american or latina woman. overall a woman with a college degree doing the same work as man will earn hundreds of thousands of dollars less over the course of her career. ending pay discrimination is about far more than simple fairness. when more women are bringing home the bacon but bringing home less of it, then men who are doing the same work, it weakens families, it weakens communities, it's tough on our kids and it weakens our entire economy. which is why the first bill i signed into law was the fair pay act to make it easier for women to demand fairness, equal pay for equal work. we're pushing for legislation to give women more tools to fight pay discrimination, and we've encouraged companies to make workplaces more flexible so women don't have to choose between being a good employee or a good mom. you don't have to take my word for it. you've got my signature on it.

because something like standing up for equal pay for equal work is not something i've got to get back to you on. it's the first law that i signed. >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome lilly ledbetter from jacksonville, alabama. [cheering and applause] >> thank you. good evening. my name is lilly ledbetter, and i'm here tonight to say what a difference four years makes. [cheering and applause] some of you may know my story, how for 19 years i worked as a manager at a tire plant in abama, and some of you may have lived a similar story.

after nearly two decades of hard, proud work, i found out that i was making significantly less money than the men who were doing the same work as me. i went home, talked to my husband and we decided to fight. we decided to fight for our family and for your family, too. [applause] we sought justice because equal pay for equal work is an american value. that fight took me ten years. it took me all the way to the supreme court. and in a 5-4 decision, they stood on the side of those who shortchanged my pay, my overtime and my retirement just because i'm a woman. the supreme court told me that i should have filed a complaint within six months of the company's first decision to pay me less, even though i didn't

know about it for nearly two decades. and if we hadn't elected president barack obama, the supreme court, wrong-headed interpretation, would have been the law of the land. and that would have been the end of my story. but with president obama on our side, even though i lost before the supreme court, we won. the first bill that president obama signed into law, was the lilly ledbetter fair pay act. [cheering and applause] i think it says something... it says something about his priorities that the first bill he would put his name on has my name on it too. as he said that day with me by

his side making our economy work means making sure it works for everybody. the president signed a bill for his grandmother, whose dreams hit the glass ceiling and for his daughters so that theirs never will. because of his leadership, women who faced pay discrimination like i did now can get their day in court. that was the first step. but it can't be the last because women still earn just 77 cents for every dollar men make. those pennies add up to real money. it's real money for the little things like being able to take your kids to the movies and for the big things like sending them to college. it's paying your rent this month and the mortgage in the future. it's having savings for the bill